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The resplendent morning sun rose towards the sky, bringing the night’s banquet to an end. In the vast encampment, wisps of cooking smoke dispersed into the horizon, and the song of the priests carried far and wide. Soon, under the leadership of the war priests, tens of thousands of samurai began to assemble in formation, praying in hushed tones. They praised the rays of light emitted by the sun toward the east; they lauded the victory bestowed by the War God and looked forward to the grand sacrificial ceremonies after the battle!
In this barbaric era of warring states, low productivity levels curtailed indulgence in pleasure. Weak rice wine could hardly intoxicate, and food served more for ritualistic purposes and to fill the belly. Whether commoners or samurai, life was tough, the social hierarchy rigid, with a proclivity for life over death and a devout belief in the spirits. The militaristic society of the alliance demanded that the militia continuously farm and fight; for the exalted samurai, abstinence, combat, sacrifice, and reverence to the deities were required. Thus, in the entire alliance, the truly captivating public activities were the various religious rituals.
"The grand affairs of the nation lie only in warfare and ritual. It is the same with the Alliance!"
Under the newborn morning sun, Xiulote, adorned in the priestly garb of the Black Wolf, his head donning an elongated priestly feather crown, and his hand clasping a gemstone-encrusted priestly scepter, sat majestically atop a three-meter-high altar. Despite a sleepless night, he was still full of vitality, his eyes bright. Taught by his grandfather, the young priest understood clearly that religious ceremonies controlled the hearts of the people, which were fundamental to his lasting influence. No matter how great the military achievements he attained, the power of religion could not be entrusted to others, and he himself must preside over the legion’s important rituals.
With this in mind, Xiulote tilted his head back and raised an obsidian lens to his eyes. After observing the sun’s position for a while, he turned to the lower-ranking priests below the altar and solemnly commanded.
"The sun rises, the deities awaken, ignite the Sacred Fire!"
The Sacred Fire blazed instantly, the warm heat waves spreading with the wind. A great amount of spices were thrown into the fire, burning with a rich fragrance, as if carrying the breath of the deities.
"The earth shakes, samurai dance, priests sing!"
The Temple Warriors burst into an ecstatic war dance, while the priests sang ancient ballads. The earth swayed, the white clouds drifted, all the way to ancient afar.
"Bury the departed, their bodies will return to the embrace of the earth, giving rise to prosperous fields!"
A giant pit had already been dug at the edge of the encampment, with thousands of samurai surrounding it, laying the bodies of the fallen into the pit. A distant lament filled the camp, accompanied by low murmurs of farewells and blessings.
Xiulote watched for a moment, his expression solemn. The Tarasco Royal Army was incredibly tenacious, and the decisive battle was exceedingly brutal, both sides fighting to the last moment. The total number of troops the Mexica Alliance deployed was around eighteen thousand, with the astonishing figure of over five thousand casualties. Because of the brutality of the fight, the proportion of those killed was especially high. At this moment, over three thousand bodies were being buried, and of the remaining two thousand wounded, half suffered severe injuries.
Upon closer analysis, the three thousand Religious Legion on the flank that fought to the death with the enemy, and were also directly breached by the Copper-axe Guards, suffered the heaviest casualties, almost losing half of their number. The three thousand Holy City Legion on the other flank fared slightly better, but still suffered nearly a thousand casualties. The six thousand Longbow Legion at the center bore the brunt of heavy archery fire and were also stormed once by the Copper-axe Guards, with casualties as high as fifteen hundred. Fortunately, thanks to the protection of Paper Armor and Rattan Shields, the injuries from arrows were mostly not severe, and most of the center’s wounded could recover. The rear three thousand Ranged Troops also suffered over six hundred casualties, a third of which were part of Xiulote’s valued Personal Army.
In Yuku’s final assault, over sixty of the five hundred Jaguar Warriors fell. Over sixty nobles of military merit ascended to the Divine Kingdom! In the eyes of the Nobility of the Alliance, this was the gravest loss of the battle. In contrast, two thousand Longbow Militia from the Black Wolf, who blocked the reinforcements from the capital, suffered seven to eight hundred casualties, yet this barely registered in the minds of the commanders.
At this point, Xiulote’s face was austere as he sighed quietly in his heart.
"The Copper-axe Guards are indeed tough as nails. The Tarasco Royal Army, my first formidable opponent, has met its demise at my hands!"
Soon, Xiulote’s spirits lifted again. He held his head high, surveying the tens of thousands of Mexica legions loyal to him, this was his power! Then, the Priestly Scepter in the young priest’s hand was raised high once more as he chanted again without expression.
"Sacrifice the enemies, let their fresh blood call upon the descent of the Sun God!"
Amidst the priests’ chants, the samurai’s war dance became even more intense. The fervent battle drums rang out, seasoned warriors imitating the cries of Jaguars and Eagles, howling to the sky with abandon. A surge of despair erupted from the nearby prisoner compound, quickly subdued by the Alliance’s samurai. Two thousand elite samurai dragged an equal number of prisoners to the vast pit.
Xiulote glanced up briefly and continued to gaze at the distant sky. Including the Capital City reinforcements, the Tarasco had deployed thirteen thousand legionaries of which ten thousand were the elite Royal Army. Following the great battle, the Tarasco Guards were completely annihilated, the Royal Warriors decimated with scarcely one in ten surviving, and the Longbow Militia were nearly wiped out. Pursued relentlessly throughout the night by the Mexica legions, the remaining ten thousand or so Tarasco legionaries were vanquished. Less than two thousand routed soldiers managed to escape to heaven, mostly being Capital City reinforcements.
In the post-battle tally, about seven thousand enemy soldiers lay dead, and close to four thousand Royal Army prisoners were taken, most wounded. Sacrifice after battle was always a custom of the Alliance, and those with severe injuries rarely escaped the fate of death. Xiulote only spared two thousand robust warriors and militia. As for the remaining two thousand captives... their faint screams of agony drowned in the shouts, vivid red overflowing into the deep pit. Then the cries waned, the redness ebbed away, the sacrifices turned cold, and the Sun God descended upon the land!
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